Christmas Decorations that You Shouldn't Deck the Halls With

During this time of year it's so much fun to decorate our homes for the holiday season. There are so many ways to decorate with a variety of different decor options. What will you use to deck the halls in your home? If you have small children and/or pets then you should probably stay far away from the holly and many other items that you will regularly come across during the holiday season.

Holly- Holly is one of the popular Christmas decorations out there. There's a Christmas song with holly in it after all. Holly is a beautiful plant with dark green, shiny leaves and very bright red berries. Children are naturally attracted to the beautiful red berries. Therefore, these are a poison hazard for children. The berries of holly are very poisonous. It is reported that just two berries can cause nausea. If you child eats more than 3 berries then it is suggested that you should quickly induce vomiting. When a lot of berries are ingested it causes continuous vomiting and diarrhea. If an exorbitant amount of berries are eaten it can be extremely fatal.

Mistletoe- Mistletoe is very popular during the holiday season but it too can be a potential hazard to small children and pets. Of course everyone knows that you are suppose to kiss under the mistletoe. Well it is better to use plastic mistletoe rather than being sick under the real thing. Mistletoe is a parasitic plant that grows in different types of trees. It has green leaves and white berries. It is thought that the stem and the leaves of the mistletoe are more toxic than the white berries. You may think that you are safe if you hang the mistletoe up high and away from little fingers but once the mistletoe is hung up and starts to dry out the berries start to fall off. Therefore, making it easy for little ones and pets to gain access to the poisonous berries. Eating the berries can range from milkd to severe stomach aches. With any poison, the more ingested the more fatal the results.

Poinsettia- Poinsettias are another plant that is highly used as a decoration during the holiday season. It is a beautiful plant with bright red leaves. It has long been thought that poinsettias were very poisonous but current testing results have failed to show toxic results. But with anything you need to consider the amount of the plant ingested. Even though the tests aren't showing high toxicity there have been many reported cases of children and pets being poisoned by ingesting poinsettias. Symptoms include nausea, vomiting and a burning of the mouth. Some children never show any symptoms after ingesting poinsettias. With this holiday decoration it is better to be safe than sorry and keep these lovely plants away.

Angel Hair- Angel hair is a lovely decoration for the holiday season. Angel hair is just tiny strands of spun glass. Therefore, they cause a big hazard for children and pets and actually for anyone who handles it. If ingested, angel hair can cause lots of lacerations in the child's digestive tract. It can also cause eye and skin irritations when handled improperly. Take great care when handling angel hair.

Bubble Lights- Bubble lights are a downright beautiful way to decorate your home for the holidays. Unfortunately they can be very dangerous if they get broken. Each little light contains methylene chloride which can be very dangerous if it is ingested but small children and pets. Symptoms of ingestion are abdominal pain, dizziness, headaches, nausea, weakness and in worst cases death.

Spray Snow- Spray snow can be a dangerous decoration. It's generally not very toxic if licked off of a window but if it is inhaled it can cause serious lung irritations. Keep children and pets away while you are spraying and wear a mask to protect yourself.

In the end, it's always fun and festive to have a brightly decorated home for the holiday season. Just consider safer alternatives and keep you home child friendly. Watch out for outlets full of Christmas light plugs, glass ornaments that can be knocked down and broken and watch out for an unstable tree that can be pulled over on top of a curious child. Have a safe and happy holiday season!